Kelly Komara knows what it takes to advance in the NCAA tournament, and it
showed in her opening-round performance.

Purdue hopes the senior guard continues her intense play in a matchup with
Old Dominion, as the teams play for the right to advance to the Sweet
Sixteen.

Komara, who has played in two national championship games, had 17 points,
six rebounds and six steals as Purdue defeated Austin Peay 80-49 in the
first round Saturday.

Komara was a freshman on the 1999 championship team, and a starter on last
year's team that lost to Notre Dame in the title game. She is the Big Ten's
defensive player of the year, and Purdue's single-season steals leader with
112.

Purdue, making its ninth straight NCAA tournament appearance, also got a
strong performance from Erika Valek, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament
in last year's Mideast regional final. She had 12 points, six rebounds, five
assists and four steals.

While Komara and Valek will again be counted on, the Boilermakers will need
a strong defensive effort from their frontcourt players as the paint area is
where the Lady Monarchs excel.

Lucienne Berthieu was hacked or ran into a double team almost every time she
had the ball in the low post, but had 24 points and nine rebounds as Old
Dominion defeated Georgia 68-54 in the first round Saturday.

Berthieu, a 6-foot-2 center, is a three-time Colonial Athletic Association
player of the year.

"We've got problems in the paint," Purdue coach Kristy Curry said. "It will
have to be our best defensive effort from our post. Also, don't lose sight
that the perimeter has got to do a good job pressuring the pass. We're going
to have to come out and see if we can rise to the occasion."

A year ago, Berthieu sat out the season with a torn knee ligament and
watched as Old Dominion was eliminated in the tournament's first round.

Old Dominion has won each of the three meetings between the teams.

The winner faces either third-seeded Kansas State or sixth-seeded Arkansas
in Milwaukee on Saturday.